Navigating Food Safety Certification Challenges
This webinar looks at the challenges of Food Safety Certification and how to navigate them.
The content in this webinar has been funded through the Hort Innovation project MU20000 - Extension and adoption for food safety, quality and risk management. It is funded through the Hort Innovation Research and Development Mushroom Fund and contributions from the Australian Government.
The webinar was recorded through the Hort Innovation Project MushroomLink (MU21003 - Mushroom industry communications program). It is funded through the Hort Innovation Research and Development Mushroom Fund and contributions from the Australian Government.
Additional resources
AMGA food safety page (posters, training videos and more)
Introduction to the Safe Mushroom Food Safety Program (2 minute video)
About the presenters
Dr Jenny Ekman
Dr Ekman is a postharvest physiologist and communicator who works to maximise produce freshness and value while minimising supply chain losses. She is passionate about applying science to improve commercial and consumer outcomes.
Dr Ekman has more than 20 years’ horticultural research experience in Australia, USA and the Philippines. She has led research projects on food safety, fruit-fly management, broccoli, chestnuts and vegetables, and is developing a definitive postharvest manual and app for the Australian vegetable industry. She has worked extensively in fruit physiology, completing projects funded by HAL, RIRDC and ACIAR.
Melisa Cavallaro
Melisa Cavallaro is a certified HACCP Practitioner with over 15 years’ experience in food safety consulting, specialising in fresh produce. She is passionate about safe guarding the Australian agricultural industry and is dedicated to bridging the gap between GFSI certifications and small family-operated farms.
Results from the mushroom supply chain best management project
Join the MushroomLink team as we speak with Dr Jenny Ekman from the MU22011 Mushroom supply chain best management project. In this two part webinar Jenny will discuss the results from this levy funded project.
Part 2 of the series will be presented on Wednesday 3 July where the postharvest best practice guide will be presented. Click here to find out more.
Global perspectives from Erik de Groot
Image courtesy of the AMGA 2023
Erik de Groot - Consultant Mushroom Business
Following his recent trip to Australia, where he delivered training workshops to local growers, Erik de Groot took some time to chat with MushroomLink’s Dr Jenny Ekman.
From a childhood spent in a small village of only 4000 people (but with 15 mushroom farms!) – to becoming a sought-after global mushroom consultant working everywhere from Dubai to China, Europe, Australia, South America and the US – Erik has unique insights into how the industry differs from place to place.
In this podcast, Erik chats about the various approaches to mushroom production around the world, current trends and challenges, and where he thinks Australia sits regarding sustainability and quality (spoiler alert – Australian mushrooms are very good!).
Erik's trip to Australia and subsequent workshops were part of the Hort Innovation project MU22010 – Mushroom International Study Tours – Inbound and Outbound, funded through the mushroom levy and contributions from the Australian Government.
MUSHROOMS IN IRELAND, AND THE WORK OF TEAGASC
When people think of horticulture in Ireland, they probably think potatoes. However, the largest horticulture sector in Ireland is actually mushrooms. With 40 farms employing more than 3,500 people and a farm gate value over €120 million, mushrooms are a major industry on the Emerald Isle, a country with a population of only 5 million.
Click here to read the full article from the MushroomLink magazine.